Ertman



United States Patent SPLASH GUARD FOR R0015 GUTTEFS Louis Ertman, West Hartford, Conn.

Application April 4, 1957, Serial No. 650,677

2 Claims. (Cl. 1108-48) This invention relates to a splash guard for roof gutters, and more particularly to a guard that is intended for sheet metal gutters.

An object of this invention is to provide a guard that may be readily attached to the inside corner of a roof gutter below a valley in a roof so as to prevent the rain water rushing down the said valley from splashing over the top of the gutter.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a corner portion of a roof gutter showing my improved splash guard attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the members used for retaining the guard on the gutter.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view, on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, with the retaining member shown in elevation.

As illustrated in the drawing, the numerals 5 and 6 denote portions of conventional sheet metal gutters which are joined together at 7 to form an inside corner gutter portion such as usually installed below a valley in a roof. The said gutter portions 5 and 6 generally include back, bottom and front wall portions 8, 9 and 10, respectively, and said front wall portion 10 has an inwardly extending flange 11 along its top edge which is preferably beaded at its free edge as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

My improved splash guard is preferably constructed of sheet metal and includes a pair of rightangularly related side walls 1212 which are suitably joined at 13 and have inwardly extending foot flanges 1414 that are folded under to form outwardly open hook portions 15--15 which are adapted to receive the beaded free edge portions of the flanges 11-11 whereby the guard is mounted in position along the top edge of the front wall of the gutter.

In order to secure the said splash guard in position, the walls of the flanges 14--14 forming the hook portions 15--15 are provided with aligned openings, as at 16-16, which extend inwardly of the open sides of said hook portions and the edges of the flanges 11-11 on the gutter. Each pair of openings is adapted to receive a tongue 17 that projects downwardly from one end of a retaining member 18 which extends across the top of the respective gutter portion. Each of the retaining members is preferably tubular in cross section and has a downwardly open hook portion 19 which is adapted to fit over the upper edge of the back wall 8 for mounting the said member in retaining position.

My improved splash guard may be readily attached to the gutter by simply pressing the hook portions 15-15 over the edges of the flanges 11-11. The tongues 17-17 of the retaining members 1818 are then inserted through the openings 16--16 and the hook portions 19- 2,899,916; Patented Aug. 18, 1959 ice 19 connected to the upper edges of the back walls 8-8. When so placed in retaining position, the front end 20 of the tubular body portion of each member 18 will abut the free inner edge of the respective flange 14 and thereby retain the hook portions 15-15 in engagement with the flanges 11-11 and thus secure the splash guard in position.

It will be noted that since the flanges 11--11 are directed inwardly of the gutter and the hook portions 15 15 are bent downwardly over the free edges of the said flanges, no Water can leak outwardly between the splash guard and the gutter.

I claim:

1. A roof gutter and splash guard having a front wall with an inwardly extending flange along the top thereof and a back wall, a splash guard portion including an upright wall portion, an inwardly extending foot flange on said wall portion resting upon the said inwardly extending flange of the gutter, an outwardly open hook portion on said foot flange extending downwardly and outwardly over the free edge portion of said inwardly extending flange of the gutter and having an opening therein inwardly of the gutter flange, and a retaining member including a tubular body portion disposed between said hook portion and said back wall of the gutter for preventing disengagement of said hook portion from said inwardly extending flange of the gutter, the said retaining member including a downwardly extending tongue at one end thereof projecting through said opening in said hook portion of the inwardly extending flange and a downwardly open hook portion at the opposite end thereof engageable with the free edge portion of said back wall of the gutter for mounting said retaining member in retaining position.

2. A roof corner gutter and splash guard including a pair of angularly disposed gutter portions forming a corner and each having a front wall with an inwardly extending flange along the top edge thereof and a back wall, a splash guard having an angularly disposed upright wall portion forming a corner conforming with the corner of the gutter, each of said wall portions having an inwardly extending foot flange resting upon the respective inwardly extending flange of the gutter, an outwardly open hook portion on each of said foot flanges extending downwardly and outwardly over the free edge portion of the respective gutter flange, the said foot flanges each having an opening extending through the hook portion thereof and disposed at least partially inwardly of the free edge portions of the gutter flange, and a retaining member at each side of said gutter corner for retaining the splash guard in attached position upon the gutter, the said retaining members each comprising a tubular portion disposed between the back wall of the gutter and the foot flange of the splash guard, a downwardly extending tongue at the outer end of said retaining member extending through the respective opening in said foot flange, and a downwardly open hook portion at the inner end of said retaining member in engagement with a free edge portion of the respective back wall of the gutter securing said retaining member in retaining position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 485,573 Bonbrake Nov. 1, 1892 1,986,383 Usinger Ian. 1, 1935 2,721,632 Surpierre Oct. 25, 1955 

